Their Broken Chords
by Kisakaze
Summary: The life of the android was complicated from the very start. Being accepted in society was one thing, but the errors that appeared whenever he felt something in his heart made it even more difficult. All he did was make a small, simple decision, at a cafe in Tokyo. And it painted the future for him. Consists of Syo x Ai
1. His Origin

**Hello. This is the writer speaking.**

 **If ya'll thought I left the UtaPri fandom HAHAHAHA. You're funny.**

 **It'll be a long time before I'll even think of leaving. I love this franchise and Ai too much.**

 **Don't think I'll update "Day with Mikaze-senpai." Though I love the concept, it's really hard to write it for some reason. But who knows? Maybe I'll drop an update for Masato's chapter when the time comes.**

 **...**

 **This fanfic was supposed to be an AU but ended up having mostly headcanons or nearly canon material.**

* * *

Ai sighed. Things in his life were suddenly going awry with new opportunities. He spent the first three years just studying in preparation of being an idol, and it wasn't as though this was unexpected, but he was having difficulty analyzing and organizing new data so quickly. He had merely debuted last year, and now the professor was practically throwing information at him.

But in order to become more human, he would have to cope.

As of now, the plan the professor spoke proudly of was to keep his identity secretive due to circumstances he has yet to have explained in full detail to Ai. Currently, the only proof that the idol, 'Mikaze Ai,' existed, were two released albums and CDs sold in high branching idol stores.

Despite all this, the albums and CDs were sold out and stores obviously had trouble restocking. The rarity of the items were extremely high, and Ai knew he had a huge fan base already going for him. People were desperate to find out more about him. The only information the public knew about him was his voice, his name, and the fact that he did reside in Japan.

The professor was searching for a way to present Ai's existence to Japan in a very easy way that wouldn't spark any drama. He also didn't tell Ai that he was extremely excited to put Ai's angelic face to the angelic voice the public craved for. It was a massive project.

But as of now, Ai lived a simple life as a stranger. Though usually monitored, he was given large amounts of freedom due to the need of him understanding human habits on his own.

Ai's intelligence is extremely high, so it didn't take him long to learn human behavior and adjust himself. Soon, he found himself acting just like one without even realizing.

Still, Ai struggled to understand the things he was experiencing. His worst problem so far was emotion, which was currently the most alien to him.

Humans normally create routines for themselves, so Ai regularly visited the city and observed strangers from afar. He was strictly told by the professor to avoid social contact as much as possible, because Ai was currently too cynical and blunt. It was too dangerous for him to interact with anyone for long periods of time. It'd be serious trouble for Ai and the company if Ai were to get in any sort of social situation.

The professor programmed Ai to understand that if he were presented a social situation, such as a stranger wanting to talk to him, to simply nod and not say a word. Ai could still speak whatever he would like at all times, but Ai was quite obedient and understood.

Still, though, as of recently, the human emotion of curiosity often overshadowed his cautiousness. It seemed to take over sometimes and makes him forget his orders.

For the first few years of his development, Ai was treated as a fragile project and nothing else. This was the time where errors were being fixed if any and Ai studied. But as of last year, in order for Ai to continue becoming closer to humans, the professor has treated Ai like family. Like a son of his own. Ai started up obvious human habits such as three meals a day and needing fluids such as water consistently, even though he didn't necessarily require them for survival. He needed them for another important purpose, and that was to be able to pass as a human.

The professor mentioned humans' obsessions with routine constantly, so Ai became attached to these things. He created drafts upon drafts of intricate schedules, adding new information every day depending on his findings.

It also 'thrilled' him that he was experiencing emotion. The very first time he felt it, it had been curiosity. This was followed by a slow flow of others, and thrill itself.

According to the list the professor gave him, Ai still had a lot to experience. What made everything difficult was the fact that there were no instructions to obtain these 'emotions' for Ai to follow. He's been following instructions and manuals for the entirety of his short life. But luckily for Ai, he experienced three new emotions just by realizing this: Frustration because of the lack of instruction, surprise when he felt frustration, and relief when he realized it may not be as difficult as he believed it to be. The more he felt, the more it would come easily to him.

Still, there were certain emotions that would be definitely be hard to trigger at Ai's current stage. Those are obvious.

* * *

The weather was relatively cold. Occasionally, snowflakes would cascade slowly down the sky, and Ai would have them fall into his hands as he stared at them in awe. But he could feel people taking double-glances at him, and thinking they were suspicious of him, he frantically stopped this.

Ai felt what he believed humans called, "self-conscious." He was a little paranoid about causing some sort of trouble, since he was warned to be cautious.

He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, covering up his cyan colored hair. According to his data, it was scientifically impossible to be born with bright, cyan hair, thus making him more sensitive.

Still, his curiosity for everything always beat his carefulness. Ai referred to himself as a child, especially when he asked just too many questions.

As Ai strolled down the sidewalks of a nice shopping center, he passed by a small cafe. He blinked, and paused; his mind was whirring with any information about cafes.

It was a very human thing to do, right? When the weather was cold, it would be nice to sit in a cozy cafe and to enjoy a warm drink or so. Ai's body temperature was adjustable, but he didn't really mess with the programs that made him stray from human nature as of yet. So he had set a default setting for everything that matched humans, and sure enough, he currently was quite cold.

He also had a good amount of money on him, certainly enough for the average price of a coffee or of the similar. The most interaction he'd do is speak briefly with the cashier about his order. And Ai felt that if he had to think so clearly about everything and every detail, he needed practice with these experiences.

And so, Ai entered the little cafe, greeted by a little bell that hung at the door and the soft music coming from inside. The cafe wasn't relatively full or empty, but Ai stepped in line behind two other customers placing their orders. It was good though; it gave him time to think about what he would like. Thanks to his research, he knew what everything was and what was contained in them, so he just picked what really appealed to him. Ai settled on ordering what they called a latte.

* * *

This job was pretty.. Okay, in Syo's opinion. Sure, it was exhausting attending the academy, doing intense idol activities, and then having to go to a part time job later. Still, it wasn't the worst. A little tough on his heart, but even through some struggles, he could manage. Syo had great friends both at his job and the school. If anything, he was excited. If all went well after graduating, he could quit the job and become a full time idol.

For now, he just focused on doing his best currently.

"Ah, Syo, can you take care of the next few customers for me?" A coworker of his asked him.

"Yeah, sure!"

Syo took the orders as usual from two girls standing in line, feeling the nice little feeling of being busy.

Syo turned around and called out the to-go order to his fellow employees, and turned to take the next customer's order.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Syo smiled brightly.

The customer looked up; their face, having been shadowed by the hood over their head, came into view.

And Syo practically froze in place.

He made eye contact with the two most gorgeous eyes he's ever seen in his _life,_ which belonged to a cyan haired boy. And as Syo's gaze flickered up and down, this boy was insanely attractive.

"Oh," he spoke softly, his voice too gentle and beautiful for Syo to handle, "...I'll have a mocha latte with almond milk."

Syo had to focus so hard on this customer's words to actually get them through his head; he was practically dazed. He shook his head a little, and repeated the order to the boy.

"A-A mocha latte with almond milk.. Got i-it, anything else?" Syo could feel his face heating up; he couldn't control his voice from shaking.

".. No."

That melodic voice.. Syo didn't know what to do with his thoughts.

"Alright, that'll be.. ¥450.." Syo says slowly, afraid that if he wasn't careful, words would start spilling out.

The customer gave him the money and went to sit down.

Meanwhile, there were no other customers at the moment, plus Syo needed time to process everything. He went a little further into the employee area.

"They ordered a mocha latte with almond milk." He says, managing to stabilize his words.

 _Just calm down, Syo. He's super attractive, but chill. It's just a hot stranger. Don't think of anything stupid, and don't do anything stupid."_

"Ehh? With almond milk? We're out of that as of now." A coworker told him. "You should've told the customer."

 _Ah, shit! Was I that distracted? Oh god, was it obvious I was checking him out?_

 _Anyway, I need to fix this! Agh, I'd feel terrible if I had to go up to him and tell him we were out!_

"I-I'm heading out! I'll go buy some! It'll take like five minutes max!"

Syo dashed out the back door before any of his coworkers could reply, sprinting down the block as fast as his legs could to the closest grocery store.

An employee sighed. "He didn't give us time to give him money from the cashier.. Is he going to purchase the almond milk with his own money?"

* * *

They didn't know how he did it, but he made it back before they knew it. Syo was breathing hard and slightly sweaty, but he had someone make the latte as quickly as possible. The customer area was empty except that customer.

"Sorry for the wait." Syo placed the latte down on the table. "One mocha latte with almond milk."

"It's fine.. It wasn't a long wait at all." Although quiet and a little monotonous, the boy's voice was still soft and very pretty to Syo.

He looked up at Syo, and Syo stiffened again at those gorgeous eyes looking at him.

Then he realized how he probably looked and felt super self conscious.

 _Crap. I'm probably sweaty and disheveled._

"You were.. Out of almond milk. But this latte still contains it."

Syo blinked, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.

 _He heard._

"Oh, uh, we were. I just ran out quickly to buy some." He explains, flustered.

"Ah.." The boy looked at the floor shyly. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I should've known not to order this."

Syo thought his response was a little strange, but God, this guy in front of him was so cute that he didn't think much of it. His timid actions were adorable.

"Don't worry about it! I don't really mind."

Syo glanced at the clock behind the counter. Maybe he should make a move?

"Oh, I'm on break now." Syo scratched the back of his head, trying not to blush. "Would you.. Would you like to chat?"

The boy stared at him, and his eyes sparkled for a moment. But he turned away.

"Well.." He then knit his eyebrows slightly, as if making a very difficult decision, "Sure."

 _Jesus, he's so cute._

"Y-You don't have to if you don't want to!"

The boy opened his mouth to reply, but paused in hesitation. "No, it's fine. Take a seat."

Syo couldn't believe what was happening. He very rarely felt this way. He wasn't really the kind of person to flirt. But things were working out well, it seemed, so he felt his weak heart skip a beat.

Syo tugged off his apron-like uniform, which he wore over his school outfit, and placed it on his lap as he sat down. He wasn't really in the mood to drink anything, but he hoped he didn't make it awkward.

"I-I haven't quite seen you around before. Are you new in the area?" Syo asks.

It was a fairly good question. Everyone who visited the cafe were regulars and locals, so this boy was a new face to Syo. And he'd know, considering how much this person's presence affected him.

".. Yes."

It was a very brief and vague answer, like he didn't know what to say. The boy looked up.

"I suppose it's natural to introduce myself. I'm… Ai."

Syo felt heat rush to his cheeks, but he smiled.

"I'm Kurusu Syo! You can just call me Syo." He replies.

 _Ai.. I feel like I've heard or seen that somewhere before? Hm. Is it a surname or a first name?_

 _I mean, there's other people named Ai probably so it's could've been some other person._

"..Syo." Ai repeated, letting the name roll off of his tongue.

Syo grinned at him. "Yeah! I'm actually from Nagoya, but I'm not that new to Tokyo, anymore. I'm here attending Saotome Academy."

Ai blinked at that familiar name. He remembered it being the idol/composer academy a friend of the professor founded. How coincidental.

"You want to be an idol? Or are you a composer?" Ai asks.

"Ah, no, no. I want to be an idol! It's been my dream for a long time." Syo rubbed his nose sheepishly. "I'm not really the type to be a composer."

It was true, if Syo has stated he would be a composer, Ai wouldn't have been able to stop himself from saying Syo didn't seem like one. Lucky for Ai, the programmed side of him that would reveal the fact that he was an unemotional robot with no childhood memories or feelings was not shown.

Ai picked up the latte, blowing on it softly to try to cool it down a bit. He took a small sip. When the liquid touched his tongue sensors, his brain automatically sent out a list of the ingredients and any information Ai was missing about lattes due to lack of experience.

" _Interesting,"_ he thought, " _depending on the tastes of an individual, this can either be pleasurable or the opposite."_

Ai placed the cup down.

The cyanette worried a bit about the possibility of Syo asking questions he didn't have an answer to.

"Do you have any hobbies you like to do?" Syo asked, grinning, but nervously choosing his words.

Ai's head buzzed with the definition of "hobby."

"I'm part of an idol agency. I sing." Ai replies.

Syo blinked. "Whoa, really? That's awesome! Are you an idol?"

Ai paused. "It's a slow rise, but yes."

Syo was disappointed in himself. Sure Ai stated that his career was building, but how come he's never heard of him? Did Ai go by a stage name? Being in an idol academy meant he had to keep up with the recent idols and trends as much as possible.

Syo thought hard. Had he ever seen the name, "Ai," on a CD?

For some reason, a light purple CD he saw in a store suddenly came to mind. It had sat on the cashier's desk, in a little assortment labeled, "Featured CDs." If Syo remembered correctly, the cashier had mentioned that the CD was nearly sold out, and was the most mysterious CD in the store. It contained nothing but small lettering of a name in a nice font. There was no album with it. The CD itself had no writing on it. It was blank, and yet it was selling out. That one was the last one the store had, the cashier had said.

Syo couldn't recall the name on the CD case, and it bothered him so badly. He'd probably go back to that store in his free time to find the CD. It would most likely be sold by then, but he could at least ask the cashier about it.

Syo realized he had been staring at the table. He looked up to see Ai peering at him curiously.

Ai was.. odd.

Syo shook the thought out of his head.

"I can see why you're an idol. Your voice is beautiful." Syo says, smiling gently.

Ai blinked.

 _Badump_.

He felt a single throb in his chest, and it disappeared.

" _Huh?"_

Ai was puzzled, and anxious immediately.

That wasn't his normal artificial rings.

He had never experienced an inner feeling like that. Never.

But it was only for a mere moment. Still, he'd ask the professor about it later.

"Ah. I should go." Ai got up abruptly. He pulled his hood over his head as Syo scooted back in surprise.

"Oh- so.. so soon? I mean-" Syo coughed, trying to calm himself. "F-Feel free to come again."

Ai turned to briefly glance at him. There was hesitation written all over his face.

"Perhaps I will." He said, with a tinge of emotion in his words.

And he left.

Syo stared at the door, the bell still chiming softly as the door slid shut. The latte still sat on the table, half-finished.

He crossed his fingers, hoping that Ai's "perhaps" meant he really would return.


	2. Cloudy Data Files

The elevator up the hospital was silent. Ai stood there, watching the number rise as he pondered what had happened today.

He touched his chest gently.

It was too quick for him to analyze it. Too fast to understand why it had happened.

Ai's eyes shift around the elevator.

It had happened seconds after Syo stated his voice was beautiful.

Thinking about it now, though, he felt nothing.

* * *

The floor the professor's office was on was empty. Ai stepped in front of the door, a scanner running over him. The door slid open, giving a slight ring.

"Ai? Are you there?" A male voice from inside spoke.

Ai walked inside, the door sliding shut behind him silently.

A tall man with messy, hazel brown hair and wire rimmed glasses appeared. He smiled warmly. "Ah, welcome back!"

Ai gave a short nod. "Hello, Master." He greeted.

"I was just connecting some of the wires as I waited for you." The professor winked, "But you're not late, don't worry."

Ai sat down.

"How was your day today?" The professor hums, paying more attention to wiring up the large machine sitting nearby the table.

Ai paused.

"It was good."

The professor stopped what he was doing to glance at Ai in surprise. Ai's usual response to that question was, "I've learned new data," or, "I observed interesting human activities."

"Really?" The professor mused.

Ai didn't seem like he wanted to explain, which was fine, since the professor was hooking him up for examination/his daily check up anyway.

Ai shutdown voluntarily, and the professor connected cords to his neck. The man returned to his computer; the code appearing on the monitor.

He scrolled through, everything seeming alright. Ai's thoughts were written in logs.

Suddenly, the professor paused. There was a name in Ai's logs, written over and over again.

"Kurusu Syo"

"Syo"

The professor pulled out his rolling chair, sitting down to examine the coding.

There was large amount of information about Kurusu Syo in Ai's logs, registered as new information. Including their gender, appearance, height, approximate age, estimated weight, occupation, voice pitch range, and so on.

Ai doesn't normally record this sort of data about people he'd see just around. Which meant Ai must've talked to this person. He knew their name, after all.

It appeared Ai didn't have anything negative in the coding, so the professor simply smiled. Had his Ai made a friend? The professor couldn't help but chuckle. Ai was certainly a fast learner.

He did a few scans over Ai's data, checking for any errors or viruses. As usual, there was none. So he rebooted Ai up.

Ai slowly wakened, rubbing his eyes like a sleepy child. He turned to look at the professor. "Is everything normal?"

The professor nodded. "You're all set!"

He ask about this Kurusu Syo later, as he'd love to hear all about it.

* * *

"Syo."

Syo stared ahead, his mind totally in the clouds.

"Oi, Syo!"

Syo blinked, looking up at his worried redhead friend.

"You keep zoning out. Are you okay?"

"I was?" Syo frowned. "Sorry, Otoya. I didn't even notice."

It was lunch break at the academy, and students in separate classes used this time to their advantage to greet with their friends.

"Are you worried about something? Stressed?" Otoya asks, sitting down beside him and placing his tray down on the table.

"Er.." Syo blinked uncomfortably. He didn't know how to explain what was troubling him. "It's.. work."

"Hmm..?" Otoya placed his plastic fork on his tongue. "Is it bad?"

"Not really." Syo felt a blush glow on his cheeks.

"Otoyan! Syo-chan!"

The two looked up to a spunky female approaching them while waving.

"Heya, Tomochika." Syo says.

A girl with coral hair and lime eyes appeared behind her.

"Mind if Haruka and I sit with you?" Tomochika asks.

"Sure!" Otoya smiled.

Tomochika and Haruka took a seat; Haruka timidly shifted, as she still wasn't close with Syo or Otoya.

"You look horrible." Tomo notes, looking at Syo strangely. "What's with your eye bags?"

"Syo's stressed about work." Otoya explains, but Syo looked away.

"Work? You usually aren't stressed about work.." Tomo stares at him, and smirks. She turned to Otoya. "Hey, Otoyan. Remember the last time Syo had huge eye bags?"

Otoya was puzzled.

Tomo sighs. "He only loses sleep over crushes, slowpoke."

Haruka turned to her in shock. "Ehh? You can tell stuff like that, Tomo-chan?"

Tomochika grinned in pride. "Totally! Syo's not normally an insomniac." She winked at him. "Besides, you never get worked up about anything except people."

Syo wanted to deny it, but he was furiously blushing, so it gave it all away.

"What? You didn't tell me, Syo!" Otoya whined. "Who is it? What class?"

"GUYS! Stop! And no, h-he doesn't go here.."

The three were looking intently at him, and he sighed.

"I met him at work.. that's all. He was a customer. He's kinda weird but.." Syo felt his face burn, "he's really cute."

Tomo and Otoya had a, "moe~," look on their face.

"Wait, so you're worked up over that?"

"No! Well, I mean.." Syo's expression grew tired. "When he was leaving, he said he might come back. And I don't know much about it. I should've gotten his number.." Syo furrowed his eyebrows.

Haruka tilts her head. "What was his name?"

"Ai." Syo says.

"Ai? Ai what?" Tomo sat straight.

"I don't know. That's all he said."

"That's romantic!" Tomochika clapped her hands together. "His name is literally 'love.' You should totally be bolder next time, Syo!"

"Shut up! It didn't seem like he was interested anyway.." Syo pouted slightly. ".. Well, I don't know, ugh. He was really, really weird. Timid, sorta, but everything he said was vague in some way. But his voice was so pretty."

"I've never heard you talk so dreamy before, Syo!" Otoya laughs.

"O-Oi!"

Haruka and Tomochika watched Syo bicker with Otoya and Otoya giggling in return. "I didn't expect Syo to be the kind of guy to get a crush just like that." Tomo says, amused.

"Is that so?" Haruka replies. She brushes a hair behind her ear and smiles. "He seems happy, though, so it's nice."

* * *

Syo was dusting tabletops, humming along with the music that played in the cafe. He was a little worn out as usual, but Syo's relatively positive attitude always made him not mind the weariness in his legs.

His shift today had him working the store mostly alone, besides one other worker in the back. It was someone he didn't particularly know well, but Syo didn't care, anyway.

A chime was heard from the door.

"Welcome-" Syo turned, cloth still in hand as he looked at the customer standing at the door.

It was Ai.

"Oh. Hello." Ai says, stepping into the coffee shop fully.

Syo froze, trying to find his words.

"A-Ah, you came back."

"I said, "perhaps I will." Don't you remember?"

Syo's embarrassing conversation with Otoya and the others earlier came back into his head. He shook it off.

"Take a seat, then." Syo says, speaking a bit faster than usual. "Can I get you anything?"

"The same as yesterday." Ai pulled off his scarf, folding it as he sat down.

Syo had memorized Ai's order, since it was so simple, and it was all Syo thought about yesterday. He could barely pay attention to the other customers after Ai left.

Syo stepped behind the counter, expertly making the coffee.

Ai looked at him from his seat. He couldn't understand why, but watching Syo work efficiently had a slight euphoria effect to it. Ai then understood why it would have the opposite effect if it were the other way around. It was interesting.

He was very interested in Syo.

Albeit, he was one of the first people he's initiated with by himself anyway.

Syo had to focus harder when he noticed Ai's gaze on him. He felt his cheeks flush. Those pretty cyan eyes following him made him nervous.

He made a neat swirl of a small amount of whip cream, and walked to the table, placing it down. He smiled at Ai.

"Here you are."

 _Badump._

Ai jumped, shocking himself and Syo.

His eyes were wide.

"Oh- sorry! Are you okay?" Syo asked quickly. He thought he had kicked Ai or nudged him or.. something.

Ai was quick to regain his cool. "I'm fine. It was my fault. Thank you." He stated calmly.

Syo laughed sheepishly. "You scared me!"

"You don't appear scared."

Still, Ai gave these strange answers Syo wouldn't hear from others.

"U-Uh, I mean.. I was at the moment."

" _Again."_ Ai thought. " _My chest.. gave a beat."_

And it definitely wasn't the artificial rings he was used to.

He looked at Syo again, who had sat down opposite of him.

He noticed how Syo's blonde hair fell over his face as he tilted to adjust his apron.

Why was he recording such data about Syo? It wasn't important to him. The data wasn't usable in the future, unless he was with Syo.

But still, he organized the data neatly, as he told himself it'd be a waste to throw any data away.

* * *

That anxiousness Ai felt soon dissipated. He and Syo talked.. almost completely comfortably. It was mostly Syo explaining things to Ai, a little puzzled as to why he didn't understand certain things, but happily teaching him about everything. Still, he didn't have a clue of Ai's secret.

As for Ai, he felt himself adjust to Syo's way of speech. He learned a lot about Syo, understanding humans more and more just by him. He kept quiet, listening to another human talk about their life for the first time. It was a great primary source.

After their second meeting, Ai began coming every day Syo worked, which was five days a week. The two would chat until the cafe closed or Ai had to leave. And since there were rarely anyone who stuck around in the cafe rather than taking their drinks and leaving, Ai and Syo were often alone in the front of the cafe.

Ai rested his chin in his hands, his arms propped up on the table.

Syo was talking about his passion for singing and the violin, his eyes lighting up as one subject led to the next. Ai was very content with just listening.

He enjoyed it, he realized.

Strange. He's never understood what enjoying something was. Relishing in the moment?

Ai felt a slight warmness in his chest. It wasn't near the level dangering his systems, so Ai wondered if it was a natural effect of enjoying something.

The edges of his lips rose up a bit, and he giggled softly.

Syo stopped in his tracks, staring at Ai.

He had never seen Ai smile before. Not up until now. And sure, he's only seen him for a few weeks, but _still._

Syo couldn't feel his face any more.

 _Ai looked adorable._

The laugh was brief, and Ai returned to look curiously at Syo's stunned expression.

"Is something wrong?"

"...No."

Syo pressed his hands against his warm cheeks, looking away.

He hoped to God that he could make Ai smile or laugh more.


	3. My Feelings

Syo's eyes opened, resting on the ceiling. He sat up, blinking a few times to clear his fuzzy vision. Sun rays peeked through the windows of his and Natsuki's dorm room.

As much as he loved weekends, it saddened him that these two days were the days he didn't get to see Ai.

Syo blushed.

It was early in the morning and he was already thinking about him.

He stretched, yawning, and glanced over. Natsuki still appeared asleep, and luckily for Syo, he slept with his glasses on last night, so Syo didn't have to go through the procedure of waiting for him to wake up and putting his glasses on.

Besides, there was no reason to wake him up today.

It was 11am, so Syo rolled out of bed and wandered into the bathroom. He wasn't sure what to do today. He didn't really have any plans.

As he brushed his teeth, he mused over work again.

" _All I've done is talk with Ai at work."_ He thought, pausing. His face flushed again. " _I-I wonder if he'd agree to go somewhere with me."_

Syo stopped, and he started coughing when he realized what he was saying. " _No- wait! That's not what I meant- oh god. It's too early to ask Ai on a.. date.."_

Syo stared at himself in the mirror, flustered.

He was so head over heels for this boy.

* * *

Ai tugged the headphones off his head and stepped away from the microphone. "Thank you, Mikaze-san! That should be a wrap for today." A staff member called to him. He nodded and exited the recording studio.

The professor was waiting for him outside, reading. He looked up and smiled brightly.

"Ah, Ai! All finished?"

"Yes."

"That's wonderful!"

Ai followed the professor through the halls.

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"Is it alright if I head out today as well?"

The professor thought for a moment. "Of course, I definitely don't mind." He scratched his chin. "But I will be stopping by the hospital room later today, if you'd like to tag along for that."

The hospital room the professor spoke of was actually Aine's location for the past few years. Ai wasn't sure why he didn't just refer to it as Aine's room, but the professor's mood grew grim every time they spoke of it, so he decided against asking at any point.

The room was on the seventh floor of the hospital, and was practically empty of patients except Aine. With special connections, the professor reserved that floor for his special studies and the hospital's research on Aine's condition. The professor's separate lab was located there; it was the location where Ai was built.

Despite being on the same floor many times, Ai's only seen Aine twice or so.

The room was pure silence except for the whirring of machines and oxygen tanks. Ai found it difficult to speak in that room, as did the professor, so the gloominess of the room only intensified. It had nothing to do with the air or Ai himself; he recognized it as the atmosphere, which was constantly heavy.

Aine lay on a soft cot, enclosed in a case. He was hooked up to an oxygen mask and multiple cords, which connected his arms, neck, and legs to the machine. Peering through the glass, Ai could easily see his features.

He always looked peaceful.

From the last time Ai saw him, Aine was pale and slender. His hair was relatively longer than Ai's. He looked delicate- fragile, even, like a feather. But still, in the state that he was, he was identical to Ai, no doubt it. If Aine ever woke up, they would still be carbon copies of each other, even with Aine being older.

The professor would scold Ai if he ever said, "If Aine wakes up." The professor truly believed that he would, so it would be a, "when." Soon, he proclaimed.

The professor was brilliant, which made Ai doubt himself and his data. But if his calculations were correct, the percentage of the possibility of Aine awakening was lower than 46%. He knew the professor was aware of this number some way or another.

But the last time Ai saw Aine was over two months ago, even though the professor checked up on Aine every day. If Ai tagged along, he was instructed to just wait outside the door. He had no need to see Aine all the time, so he didn't mind, but he wondered every so often why the eccentric and outgoing professor would imply being against letting him see Aine sometimes.

"I don't think I will come with you today." Ai says.

The professor smiles. "That's totally fine! Go ahead and have fun," He ruffled Ai's hair. "Do you want to be picked up or dropped off somewhere?"

Ai didn't know what fun meant, so he made a note to research it later. He patted his hair back into place. "No, I should know my way after exiting the building."

* * *

The professor departed with a wave as he drove off, leaving Ai standing there. He returned the wave, notably awkwardly. He understood that it was a human greeting or a way to signify departure, so he should get it into his system to do it naturally.

Since it was a weekend, Syo would not be at the cafe.

Ai could still go; he didn't see why Syo's presence would affect him going. But still, the idea of being there without Syo there seemed.. unappealing for some reason.

Ai decided to explore more of the city today, as he realizes he's been preoccupied at the cafe for quite some time.

He was mostly interested in checking out Saotome Academy.

The professor spoke a few times about Aine attending there, which surprised Ai, as he learned that Syo also resided at that school. It was interesting how there was a connection, but it was nothing more than a mere coincidence.

The school was private, so Ai definitely could not actually go on school grounds, but he wouldn't mind strolling around the school just to see it's features.

It was his duty to understand Aine and help him wake up, so perhaps going to the school would be helpful.

The academy was extremely large, with huge, multiple connected buildings, but most of the academy also consisted of nature scenery. He could make out a veranda in the distance.

The academy could be classified as a small town, considering how large it was, the population of students, and according to Ai's research, has stores.

He assumed he was far east of the entrance, from the architecture he could make out.

The area outside the school, where Ai stood to observe, was populated by other people too, so it appeared to be fine to speculate the school outside of the residency.

Ai thought for a moment.

From here, the cafe that Syo worked at took at least fifteen minutes to get to via car. Syo has never mentioned owning a car. It was certainly a long distance to travel from the school to his job. Ai wasn't even sure if the job was necessary for Syo, but perhaps he'd bring this up another day when they met again.

Ai blinked.

Perhaps he was using Syo as a measurement. That may be why he comes to mind. After all, calculating a student's activities throughout the school with extremely large area was certainly interesting, especially if they go off campus frequently. Other than that, he should have no reason to think about Syo at the moment. But he still did.

" _When we meet again."_

A gust of wind flew by, softly blowing his hair to his right.

He wanted to see Syo soon.

* * *

"Hey, won't you eventually get tired of ordering the same thing everyday?" Syo asked in a teasing manner.

Ai stared at him, and blinked. "I don't believe so. It's preference, is it not?" He replies.

Syo giggles. "I guess you're right. That latte isn't the sweetest thing in the world so it must be harder to grow sick of it."

"Is that so..?" Ai mused, staring at the light brown liquid in the coffee cup.

He was oblivious to Syo, who watched him in amusement

" _He's so cute.."_

" _Oh shit, I'm being weird again. Gaah, stop it!"_

Monday had come unexpectedly fast. Over the weekend, the only thing Syo really did was lay around and play video games. He honestly wanted to go out, but couldn't bring himself to.

Most of the weekend, he embarrassingly thought about what he could do to convince Ai to go somewhere with him, but not imply it being like a date.

It wasn't as if he wanted to date Ai, Syo had thought in a flurry of panic to himself. He just wanted to.. go somewhere with his friend.

"Would you recommend anything else?"

Syo snapped back into reality. "Huh?"

"You brought up the conversation about this. I assume you have recommendations." Ai explains.

"O-Oh, right! Um," Syo looked away, for some reason flustered. "I don't know. You seem like a guy who has really specific taste, so.. I wouldn't want to.."

Ai tilts his head. "Wouldn't want to what?"

"I-I wouldn't want to recommend something to you that you wouldn't like, which is stupid, but.. that's how I feel."

Ai's expression didn't change.

Syo was definitely wrong about things Ai didn't like. In fact, Ai truthfully didn't have preference in food or any idea about what tasted 'good,' as long as it was edible. It would take awhile for him to even develop something specific to him like that.

But Ai found it interesting.

"So that's how it works.." Ai murmured.

Syo attempted to stifle a laugh. "You're so weird."

"Ah- I'm not."

The cafe quieted.

"Syo."

"Yeah?"

"Would it hurt someone if another who was close to them had to leave?"

Ai asked these weird, out of context questions to Syo all the time. The blonde had grown used to him; happily complying to answering Ai's questions about the world.

"Somebody close to them? Like what?"

Ai hesitated, which was odd to Syo. "I get that people form bonds by spending time with each other or learning about each other. If you were to not speak with someone like that anymore, would you be hurt?"

Syo looked at him. "Yeah, of course." He paused, staring ahead. "That's like losing a friend, basically. That would hurt anyone."

Ai didn't say anything.

Syo noticed the distinctly different aura warding off the cyanette. "A-Aha, it's okay! It's nothing as serious as it seems to be." He smiles at Ai, trying to lighten to the mood.

Should he change the subject, he wondered?

"So, how's your idol career coming along?"

Ai stopped. "Oh, normal, I suppose. Certain things will change when I debut a second time."

"A second time? Whoa, why do you need to do that?" Syo asks, puzzled.

Ai sighed, "Idols need to debut again when establishing a different part of their career. For instance, if you had a different persona and want a new one."

Syo was surprised. Well, he learned something new today. Why didn't anyone tell him that at school?

"But that's great, right? You'll gain more popularity that way! That's great, Ai!" Syo exclaimed.

"I have to focus more on my career. There are new.. assignments I have."

"Ah, is that so? That's-"

Ai looks at him. "Syo."

Syo stops talking, startled.

"That means I cannot come here to see you anymore."

...

Silence.

...

The two just stared at each other.

Finally, Syo broke the gaze, looking away.

"O-Oh."

" _That's why he asked that question."_

" _But.."_

"Y-You really can't come here anymore?"

Ai shook his head. "I'll be busy. According to my company, I'll be reassigned into a band, and a major assignment will follow after that."

Syo felt as though he wasn't processing it.

He was just getting to know Ai.

"I get it. You have to do it, so.. for your career.." Syo mumbled.

"I'm glad you understand."

Syo wished so much he knew today was the last day he'd be seeing Ai.

He would've made it more special.

But now he's just here, baffled like an idiot.

And soon this boy sitting in front of him would disappear from his life forever.

Syo looked up to see Ai staring at him, his mouth parted slightly and his eyes wide.

"Syo, you're.."

Syo knew it, too. He felt the warm tears running down his face.

"A-Aaaah, it's nothing! It's nothing." He scrubbed his face quickly, keeping his eyes open as big as possible. He smiled to the best of his ability. "I'm happy for you! Really, I am. Don't worry about me."

Ai sat there idly.

".. I see."

Ai stood up, brushing his clothes slightly.

"I'll be going."

"R-Right."

Ai walked to the door, and Syo felt himself panic.

"W-Wait!" He stumbled out of his chair.

Ai turned around, and to Syo's disappointment, he looked indifferent.

"What?" Ai asked blankly.

Syo stared at him, his threat suddenly cakey and painful. His gaze fell to the floor.

"Goodbye." Syo murmured.

Ai nodded.

"Goodbye."

And Ai left.

* * *

It began to pour.

Ai walked down the sidewalks. He was heading home.

" _Home, hmm?"_

The droplets splashed on his head, and he closed his eyes as he continued.

" _I feel heavy."_

" _Could it be the rain?"_

Ai eventually arrived back at the professor's office. He stepped in. It appeared the professor wasn't home.

He squinted at the couch as he tugged off his shoes.

His head was spinning a bit.

" _I shouldn't have walked in the rain."_

Ai set down his bag.

The professor wouldn't be home for another hour.

Ai sat down in the couch, and soon after, switched to laying down on it. The tips of his soaked hair fell ever so slightly over the edge. To anyone else, he would've just looked like tired, sweet, teenage boy.

But he wasn't any of those things.

…

Well, he does identify as a male, but he's an android. Not a human boy, is what he meant.

Ai turned to stare at the ceiling.

His system was obviously experiencing errors, as every so often his vision would go static or the data wouldn't process easily. It was unfortunate that he would have to deal with this until the professor returned to fix it, but it didn't matter too much to him.

What mattered to him right now?

His head felt heavy enough to make him feel uneasy.

Ai felt himself recall the events that happened earlier today.

He remembered standing near the door of the cafe.

He remembered the expression Syo made as he left.

Out of all the recorded expressions Ai made of Syo, he had never seen Syo.. upset before.

" _Does that data even matter?"_

Ai slowly closed his eyes.

" _It shouldn't. But it does."_

* * *

A bit over an hour later, the professor came home.

"Ai?" He called out.

The professor jumped a little to find Ai on the couch, asleep.

"Tired..?" He whispered, smiling.

He walked over, and rebooted Ai up.

"I'm sorry to wake you," the professor says as Ai sits upright, "but I have to scan you before you sleep."

"Oh, right. I need a scan anyways, Master." Ai says. "My circuits are struggling to work."

The professor nods. "Not a problem."

And so, Ai sat down on the table and shut down again.

The professor pulled up a chair and sat in front of the computer.

" _Strange."_ He thought. " _There is an irregulation here in his memory patterns and heart rate. I'll have to remove those patterns temporarily."_

Unlike humans, who have no possibility of regaining memories after certain injuries due to memories being signals rather than physical nerves, Ai's patterns could be recorded and imitated to his convenience. It explains why the professor managed to program him to have eidetic memory, and when the memories caused problems, he could fix them.

The professor didn't think much of it. He removed the few memories he knew didn't affect Ai's skills and knowledge. They were relatively recent and must've been bombarded with emotions, which resulted in Ai 'crashing'. Soon, once Ai's system develops, he can implement them back.

The professor cheerfully rebooted Ai up. Ai blinked slowly, checking his programs quickly to find no errors.

"All good?" The professor asks.

Ai nods.

"Great! Alrighty, you can go back to sleep now."

The professor wanders off, probably to tinker around somewhere else in his office to not disturb Ai.

Ai simply shrugged, and went back to laying down.

" _Ah.. I should sleep. I'm relatively tired."_

Ai pulls the blanket the professor left for him up to his chin.

" _But why am I tired? I didn't leave the office today."_


End file.
